Solid Perfume Balm Separation Issue

The likely cause of the separation in your solid perfume balm is the high proportion of the liquid oil phase (Fragrance and Last Fix, totaling 45%) relative to the solidifying agents (Petroleum Jelly, Paraffin Wax, Glyceryl Stearate, and Beeswax). The solid matrix formed by the waxes and petroleum jelly is not strong enough to hold such a large amount of liquid oil uniformly throughout the balm as it cools. This causes the liquid components to separate or "sweat out" from the solid structure.

How to Fix Separation

Here are some ways to adjust your formula to prevent separation:

• Increase Solidifying Agents: The most effective way to improve stability is to increase the total percentage of waxes and petroleum jelly. You could increase the amount of Paraffin Wax and Beeswax. Beeswax, while providing a nice texture, has a relatively low melting point compared to other waxes. Consider adding a harder wax like Carnauba Wax, Candelilla Wax, or a higher melting point Synthetic Wax or Ceresin Wax to provide more structure and increase the melting point of the balm, which will help it hold the liquid oils better.
• Decrease Liquid Oil Phase: A fragrance load of 30% is quite high for a balm. Reducing the total percentage of Fragrance and Last Fix would significantly help stabilize the formula by decreasing the amount of liquid the solid matrix needs to hold.
• Adjust the Ratio: Aim for a better balance where the solid phase is robust enough to fully incorporate and suspend the liquid oil phase. This might involve a combination of increasing solidifiers and decreasing liquids.

While your method of heating and mixing is generally appropriate for balms, the core issue lies in the ingredient ratios. Adjusting the formula is the primary solution.

Relevant Ingredients

Here are some of the ingredients from your formula and potential alternatives/additions that were found:

• Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline Petroleum Jelly)
• Paraffin Wax (Consider adding Synthetic Wax or Ceresin Wax)
• Glyceryl Stearate SE
• Beeswax (Natural White Beeswax, Yellow Beeswax, Emulsifying Beeswax)
• Fragrance (e.g., Floral Background, Awakening, Calm Me Down, Healthy Recovery)
• Last Fix (e.g., Calm Me Down, Healthy Recovery, Lemon Freshy)
• Phenoxyethanol (Phenoxyethanol (Extra Pure), Phenoxyethanol P5)
• Oil-soluble color (e.g., ReadyMix™ FD&C Yellow No.5 Lake (Oil Based), Caramel Color EasyWash™)

By adjusting the percentages, particularly increasing the waxes and potentially reducing the fragrance load, you should be able to create a stable, non-separating solid perfume balm.